Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Omashu
"This is the Omashu delivery system", Aang said as we stood just within the gates of the city. As he talked, Aang scratched at the mop of Appa hair on top of his head. "Miles and miles of tubes and chutes". He sounded thrilled. Thrilled enough to forget how uncomfortable his disguise was. "Earth bending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down", Aang explained as he tracked one of the mail carts with his eyes.
It was an impressive sight; a mechanism this large and elaborate. How many hands did it take to build it? Maintain it? We'd never have something like this at home. It was enough of a challenge to fix structures if they started to melt. But… I guess the Earth Kingdom doesn't need to worry about melting buildings.
It was nice to see. Dad would've loved it. But a lesson on Omashu's postal service wasn't why we were here. "Great, they get their mail on time", I said as Kaya leaned over the stone railing; peering down into the city. Her eyes were wide as she took in every detail she could. "Which way to the market?" I asked before Aang could get too distracted.
We needed money. And Food. And money to buy food. So, unless Omashu's mail service was hiring day laborers, the market was where we needed to be.
Though leave it to Aang to not read the subtext. "They do get their mail on time", he cheerfully announced as Momo peaked out of his Appa wig. "And we're going to ride it", Aang announced.
For a short moment, I traced the different chutes lining the different levels of the city. "No!" First, it was the otter penguins. Then it was the unagi. And now this. We'd never make it to the North Pole at this rate. Wouldn't even make it beyond the Earth Kingdom if we kept putting things like this ahead of survival.
"Just one ride", Aang claimed without turning away from the tubes and chutes as he talked. "One ride and then we'll head straight for the North Pole", Aang promised. It was like he didn't know why we stopped in Omashu in the first place.
Katara was wistful as she voiced her opinion. "It does look fun".
Bowing my head, I pinched the bridge of my nose as my shoulders rose and fell with one drawn-out breath. "Okay", I said once I was ready. "You have fun with that. Let's just meet up here by sunset".
"Wait!" Aang called as I started to walk away. The girls turned to watch. I didn't stop. "You're not going to ride with us?"
Raising a hand, I waved without turning around. "I need meat!" I called behind me. They just didn't get it. Though Katara probably should have. I was the oldest. There were four mouths I needed to feed, including myself. Five if you counted Momo. And luckily, Appa could graze so I didn't have to count him. But five mouths… four and a half. That was a lot. Especially when we couldn't hunt every day and smoke or preserve what we found. We also couldn't trust that people would just feed us as the people of Kyoshi Island did.
I didn't get too far. Maybe five steps out, a hand latched onto my coat sleeve. I slowed; knowing there was only one person who'd grab me like this. "You want to come with me?" I asked; glancing down at Kaya.
Smiling and nodding, Kaya looked over her shoulder to wave at Aang and Katara before tugging on my sleeve to get me moving again. "Find meat, yes?" She asked.
"Uh". Heat rushed to my face as guilt gurgled in my gut. Kaya was volunteering to work instead of play. And another girl kissed me and she didn't know. "Yeah". Speeding up, Kaya jogged every other step to keep pace. It didn't matter. I told myself. Suki was… not here and Kaya was. Kaya wore my necklace and Suki didn't. I liked Kaya and… and… she needed me.
Finding the marketplace was the easy part. We just had to follow the sounds of vendors shouting out to anyone who walked by. Though it took time. Omashu was built on a mountain and its streets were built around hills. Some manmade. Some natural. Every building was made from the same type of stone as the gate walls with matching green tiled roofs. The buildings sat close together and spoke of a big population. A big population meant crowded streets. And crowded streets meant a slow traveling pace.
But we got there and quickly found the real challenge was finding work. I didn't think it would be in a place this big. There were butcher shops, produce stalls, textile merchants, metal smiths, carpenters, and stone masons. Someone must need help with the heavy lifting. But no one did. Everywhere we stopped, everyone I asked either had children, apprentices, or employees to do the grunt work for them.
It wasn't until we stumbled upon an inn that we had any luck. "I need help with firewood and busing the tables", the innkeeper said as she wiped down a tea tray with an old cloth. "And I can only pay half a day's wage".
It wasn't much but it could at least get us as far as the next town. Besides, the day was already half over. "That's fine", I agreed; offering my hand to shake on it.
The innkeeper's hand felt weathered in my own. It reminded me of Gran-gran's hands and spoke of years of work. It was comforting to know hard work existed everywhere. "The kitchen's back through there", she said as she let go of my hand. "My cook can show you where we keep the firewood and when the ovens don't need tending to, you can grab a tray and help out". Her eyes darted to Kaya hovering behind my shoulder.
The yellow-haired girl wasn't looking at either of us. So, it was hard to determine how much she understood of our exchange. Instead, Kaya looked like she found the inn's customers interesting as she watched them go about their business.
Jutting her chin in Kaya's direction, the innkeeper stated, "She can wash dishes".
"Umm", Looking over my shoulder, Kaya and I made eye contact. As if she realized she was now a topic. But all Kaya did was smile. "Yeah, Kaya knows how to do that".
The innkeeper nodded slowly as her eyes lingered on Kaya's weird hair. But she snapped out of it soon enough. "Get to it", she ordered with a sharp bark. "I'm not paying for you to stand around".
The cook was just as old as the innkeeper. With a hunched back and a greasy forehead, he wielded a ladle like how I used a hunting knife. "Don't get water all over the floor, girly", the old man chided as he waved the ladle in Kaya's direction; throwing in pinches of different herbs into a bubbling pot. Kaya nodded with a half-smile. Confusion in her eyes as she glanced at the floor in her surrounding area. I didn't blame her. Kaya was already elbow deep in dishwater and there wasn't a single drop on the floor. So, what was the cook complaining about?
Kneeling by the ovens, I feed the fires the newly chopped wood. There was a small yard attached to the kitchen; giving me plenty of room to swing an axe. But still close enough that I could hear everything going on in the kitchen. Something the cook liked to take advantage of. "Where's that wood, boy?" or "Hurry up! If the fire isn't hot enough, the meat won't be cooked in the middle". Fanning the flames to make them bigger, I started to understand why the innkeeper didn't have enough help like the other businesses we stopped at.
At home, we washed dishes using a cauldron and simmering water. So, Kaya had no problem plunging her scarred hands and forearms into the slightly murky basin. Though… that water would probably need to be changed soon. Where do you get water in a city like this? Wasn't like they could just fill a pot with snow and boil it. The biggest difference between dishes at home and dishes in Omashu seemed to be how you scrubbed them. At home, the women used harvested sea sponges to scrub our bowls clean. Here, they used handfuls of sand to scour. It took Kaya a few attempts before she figured it out. The old man grumbling about her slowness didn't help. But he never refused any freshly clean pot or baking dish Kaya handed back to him.
When the fires were burning steadily and there was firewood chopped and ready, I did what the innkeeper asked of me. Holding a tray with one hand, I went around to each deserted table and cleared it of its used dishes. At this time of day, it was mostly empty tea cups. But once and a while, someone would order food. Though you'd think the inn was still in their lunch rush based on how the cook talked.
It was interesting… at least, I thought it was. Seeing all the food and drink that came out of the kitchen minutes after people ordered them. Food that the inn didn't get through hunting and gathering. But by purchasing the ingredients in the market. What would it be like to live in a place like Omashu? What would I do for a living if I couldn't hunt?
Shaking my head, I moved back to the kitchen with a full tray. Passing the innkeeper taking a table's orders as I went. It'd be boring. I decided. Living behind stone walls and doing the same thing day after day.
Kaya's shoulders were scrunched up to her ears as she scrubbed a plate free of its food residue. The corners of her mouth twisted in an uncomfortable grimace. "You okay?" I asked; unloading my tray into the basin. Kaya nodded without looking at me; causing me to linger at her side. She'd been okay before I left…
"We don't see a lot of Water Tribe folk these days", the cook commented as he slapped a flank of meat into an oiled pan. It started to sizzle upon impact and the smells that followed made my stomach growl. "Thought maybe the Fire Nation took your lot out like they did the Air Nomads".
Placing the tray down, I went back to tending the fires. But I kept Kaya in the corner of my eye. "We're still standing. There just isn't a reason for my people to travel anymore". Not that we ever did much before. Home was home. And there was no other place like the South Pole. I bet even the North couldn't compare.
The cook sniffed with a long nasal sound as he flipped the flank in his pan. "Why are you here then?" He asked. The more he talked to me, the more relaxed Kaya became. Though it had my muscles tensing.
I couldn't tell the truth. Traveling with the Avatar wasn't something we should advertise. Even if Aang made that difficult. "My dad's fighting with the Earth Kingdom", I settled on. "I want to see him". Kaya stacked three clean bowls next to the basin before she moved to a cluster of plates. She refused to look away from the dishwater as she worked. Her hands must be pruney by now.
"Thinking of joining him in battle?" The old man asked. Redirecting my gaze from Kaya, I was startled; realizing the old man was staring at her too. His eyes fixated on her back rather than the radish-turnip he was dicing.
"No", I answered with narrowing eyes. After that, any trips I made out of the kitchen were done as quickly as possible.
"Here", the innkeeper said as she shoved silver and copper pieces into both our hands. "Half a day's wage as promised".
"Ah, thank you", I said with a small bow as my hands fumbled to keep ahold of every coin. Quickly, I counted them in my head. Yeah, that should be enough to get us to the next city. Kaya added her wages to my hands. Blinking at the sudden increase, I changed my calculations. And we wouldn't starve either. Good to know.
The innkeeper's eyes flashed between Kaya and me as I pocketed the money. With her hands on her hips, the innkeeper seemed to make up her mind about something. "She trusts you", was her observation.
This prompted me to look at Kaya as well. The easy-going smile from the beginning of the day was gone. Instead, she held herself rigidly; fixed in place close to my elbow with one hand resting close to where I knew she kept her slingshot. "Yeah", I answered. Almost slow as I spent a little too much time studying Kaya's necklace. "We're family".
Seemingly pleased by my response, the innkeeper nodded once before walking over to where the cook had abandoned a bubbling pot on the stove. "You seem like nice kids. Eat before you go", the innkeeper ordered as she filled two bowls with some rich stew and stuck a spoon into each bowl. "On the house".
My mouth watered. But as the innkeeper held out the bowls for us to take, I hesitated. Kaya needed to get out of here. I wanted to get back to the others. Still… free food was free food. Solving the dilemma for me, Kaya accepted her bowl first. "Thank you", she whispered to her feet.
"Um, yeah. Thanks!" I agreed as I took my own bowl. The Innkeeper watched as we took our first bites. There was an explosion of flavor on my tongue that lead to taking quicker bites. Savory. Meaty. Oh, La! Where had this stew been my whole life? The meat was tender. The potatoes melted in my mouth. And the carrots were like little bits of gold just waiting to be found. As awful as that old man was, at least he knew how to cook a decent meal.
An indulgent smile grew on the Innkeeper's face. One that made her look younger. "Now, I have some advice for you", she announced as the cook reentered the kitchen. Seeing the bowls in our hands, he grumbled something about freeloaders on his way to check the ovens. "I hear you're looking for your father. If he is fighting, you'll most likely find him along the coast. That's where the front lines are".
Nodding, I figured that made sense. We were water-tribe. And the best opposing force to fire was water. Dad wouldn't want to be too far away from it. Especially during a fight. May La protect him. With her spoon in her mouth, Kaya inched closer to me. I figured out why a second later. Though the Innkeeper didn't seem to notice.
"When you need to stop for supplies avoid the smaller settlements. The Fire Nation has occupied many of them, but they haven't been as successful with the cities". Sound advice. I nodded again. "And be wary of what you tell strangers and say in public. Neighbors are turning on neighbors to keep the Fire Nation's attention off them. And the Fire Nation is willing to pay for information. Making foreigners an easy target".
Suddenly, I was grateful we made Aang wear that disguise. "Yes, Ma'am", I replied with manners that would've made Gran-gran proud. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind".
The innkeeper opened her mouth to say one more thing, but a sound outside the kitchen distracted her. "My cabbages!" A voice wailed followed by many choked sobs.
Sighing, the innkeeper moved towards the doors. "I better see what that's about", she muttered to herself. Before she left the kitchen completely, the innkeeper looked over her shoulder at us. "Put your bowls in the basin when you're done and be safe". She left before I could say thank you again.
"After this, we'll meet up with the others", I told Kaya as I shoveled a few more spoonfuls into my mouth. Kaya ate at a slower pace. "I'm not sure if there's time to shop. But maybe we can come back in the morning to buy food".
"You know", the old man started. "It's going to be hard finding your father while dragging along dead weight". Kaya stopped eating. "A strong, resourceful boy like you could travel a lot faster without girly attached to your hip. It'd be safer too. Having hair like that must attract a lot of attention".
I stopped eating. There were a few mouthfuls left in my bowl, but I stopped eating. "Kaya's strong and resourceful too". You had to be resourceful to survive back home. And Kaya didn't lack strength. That much was clear after she stood up to Prince Scarface.
"You could leave her here", the old man kept going. As if I hadn't said anything. "It wouldn't be hard to find girly work". His eyes seemed almost transfixed by Kaya's Water Tribe-styled and oddly colored hair.
Long ago, before Dad left, he'd tell me stories about the other nations. Everything he knew about their customs, mannerisms, and beliefs he shared. "We may live isolated lives, but that's no excuse to live unaware", Dad claimed. One thing Dad talked about often was the differences between us and the others. "Differences don't make us better", he explained. "But it's important to understand". The people of the South Pole share everything they have. The others don't. The people of the South Pole respect and honor their elders. That's not always true elsewhere. The People of the South Pole are a family. The others are too large to live like that. The People of the South Pole value and protect their daughters, mothers, and sisters. For the others… It can be hard to be a woman.
Comprehension hit like a hard ball of ice during a snow fight. I didn't understand before. What was hard about being a woman? All they had to do was cook and clean. But after meeting Suki and her warriors, after watching Kaya tense under the old man's stare, I got it; what Dad tried to explain. "I'd pay you well for her", said the cook. I took the bowl from Kaya's hands and stacked it on my own before using my free hand to tug her behind me. She went willingly. "Though with a discount for the scars on girly's arms".
What do I say to that? I mean… I know my answer. But how to make it clear that this old man was… was… just as bad a Fire Nation soldier!
The innkeeper stomped in. "Something's upset Qianfan. He can't stop talking about the malicious slaughtering of his produce", she said with an eye roll before she paused and took in the state of her kitchen. After studying my protective stance in front of Kaya, her eyes narrowed on the cook. "What happened?" She asked, a hard edge of warning in her voice.
"Nothing", the old man answered without missing a beat.
I didn't miss a beat either. "He wanted to buy Kaya to… to…" I couldn't even finish that sentence.
Luckily, I didn't have to. In two long strides, the innkeeper reached the ovens. Raising her hand high above her head, she smacked the cook on the back side of his skull. "There's no business like that in my establishment!" The innkeeper roared as the old man cowered behind his ladle.
"Think of the profit", the old man tried as the innkeeper continued to beat on him. At one point, she took the ladle from him and started using that instead. "Travelers are less and less common these days. We need to diversify!"
But the innkeeper wasn't having it. It was thrilling and gratifying to see. "Threatening kids with such matters!" She roared. She was so loud that the sobbing cabbage man couldn't be heard any longer. "I won't have it!"
The old man broke not long after. Sputtering apologies as he tried to use his hands to block incoming blows from his ladle. "Come on, Kaya", I said; reaching behind me for her hand. When I felt her fingers lace through mine, we moved. First making a brief stop by the basin to drop off the bowls.
"I'm absolutely disgusted", the innkeeper continued. But she paused long enough to see us out. "I apologize for him", she said with an irate shake of her head; knowing an apology would never be enough to make up for what her cook had suggested. "Go. He won't bother you again. I'll make sure of it. Go and watch out for each other".
"Yes, Ma'am", I said before leading Kaya out of the kitchen.
Before we left the inn, the innkeeper could be heard yelling, "I'll report you to King Bumi for this! But only after I've knocked you senseless!"
I wanted to laugh at the man cowering before the innkeeper. In any other context, it would have been a funny sight. But Kaya's hand in mine prevented that. There was nothing funny about what she must have felt. And it made me think. How much of the world did I not understand?
Back at the meeting point, I leaned on the stone railing with my elbows. The sun was setting behind the city, and down below lamplighters could be seen as they started their routes. "Kaya", I said slowly. "You know you can tell me things, right?"
The yellow-haired girl stood at my side as her hands fiddled with the fringed ends of a blue scarf she now wore draped over her head and wrapped around her shoulders. Once we left the inn, we headed straight for the meeting point with only one detour.
"Things your feeling". Even if I didn't really like talking about that stuff. "Things that happen to you. I'll listen".
Kaya's hand remained encased in mine as we pushed our way through the streets of Omashu. My steps were hurried and I had to make sure Kaya kept up. But I needed to get us out of there. We needed to find meet up with Katara and Aang so we could go back to Appa. Because the sooner we got to the North Pole, the better. At least then we'd be amongst the Water Tribe once more. However, the sight of a textile vendor had me stilling unexpectantly before we left the market. Kaya ran into me because of it.
"Katara's better at it than I am. Aang too, probably. But I'll try. If you talk, I'll try".
In front of the vendor, with Kaya blinking in confusion behind me, I pointed to a blue scarf. "Who much for that?" Like Aang, Kaya attracted unwanted attention. I knew that. But how bad that unwanted attention was remained unclear until today.
One silver piece later, I tossed the scarf over Kaya's head. Her hair was still short enough that none of it peaked out. Now, the only thing to look at was a pale face swimming in a sea of blue. The scarf blocked Kaya's necklace which… But this was better. Kaya was water tribe. When the rest of the world looked at her, all they needed to see was blue.
"It's okay to complain sometimes". I kept my eyes on the streets below. Where was Aang and Katara? They better not have gotten lost. "Everyone does. You can tell us when you don't want to do something. Or if something's too hard or too boring. You don't have to just go along with everything".
My eyes turned to Kaya; waiting to see if I'd get a response. Her lips were pressed together as she stared at the sky; thinking. And it occurred to me. She main not be able to. Complain that is. Kaya may not be able to tell us what she felt. What she was thinking, sure. We've made progress in that area. But… We haven't given her any words for feelings. Had we even taught her how to say no?
The yellow-haired girl took her time in replying. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before saying slowly and carefully, "That… man". Wiping her forehead and arching her back with hunched shoulders, Kaya made sure I knew who she was talking about.
"The cook", I helped.
"The cook was… stupid". A laugh bubbled up my throat, causing me to choke on it. When did she learn that word? "Kaya was…" Wrapping her arms around herself, Kaya shivered as she searched for the right word.
"Scared", I supplied. "You were scared".
Kaya nodded. "Kaya was…" She stopped and corrected. "I was scared. But Sokka there, so Kaya okay".
Blushing, I turned back to the city below. My thoughts from early on repeat in my mind. Suki didn't need me. Kaya did. Together, we stood still and quiet as we watched the sunset. Each with our different thoughts as we waited. Kaya was nice. She trusted me. I liked Kaya… and she was here.
It wasn't until the sun had gone down completely that I realized something more pressing. Katara and Aang still hadn't come back. "Ugh!" I complained as my hands gripped either side of my head. There's no way taking a ride in the mail chutes would've taken this long. What had they gotten into? "Oh, La", I said aloud as Kaya looked on in puzzlement. "If Dad knew I lost Katara, he'd kill me".